Originally published on July 29, 2021, by Sheheryar Hafeez for the NAIOP E-Newsletter.
Real estate investment trust (REIT) merger and acquisition activity has emerged from the pandemic in full force with some $75 billion in investment nationally from January through mid-July 2021. This robust activity is expected to continue throughout what could potentially be a record-breaking year. While all 11 Global Industry Classification Standard sectors are in positive territory for the year, real estate ranks second highest with a strong 27% performance, just slightly below energy.
With the U.S. economy posting robust growth rates and expectations of a return to pre-COVID normalcy in many areas, investors are readjusting their views on various REIT sectors. Property sectors that felt the deepest impacts in 2020 – office, retail, and hotel, or “out-of-favor” sectors – are increasingly eyed by commercial real estate investors, who are betting on a strong rebound. Conversely, tech-driven and industrial REITs – or “in-favor” sectors – that benefited from the country’s increased reliance on e-commerce in 2020, have underperformed so far this year but are still in positive territory.